Hope the Knee recovers...This is why we like pics...As soon as I saw the low depth of coal...The 503 is a good heater...The other issue is the air inlet can loosen up...Causes an overly hot fire...The bolt behind the ash door...

The air vents on the ash door have to be open all the way or it starves for air, so loose inlet isn't a problem. Even freshly shaken and an empty ash pan she needs the air vents wide open. When I'm home and its COLD I crack the door a bit. Also the damper is open 1/3. I can have her burning hard for a half hour or more, slide the air vents a third closed and push damper closed and within a half hour you can't see signs of a fire.

Emerald7 wrote:The air vents on the ash door have to be open all the way or it starves for air, so loose inlet isn't a problem. Even freshly shaken and an empty ash pan she needs the air vents wide open. When I'm home and its COLD I crack the door a bit. Also the damper is open 1/3. I can have her burning hard for a half hour or more, slide the air vents a third closed and push damper closed and within a half hour you can't see signs of a fire.

typically when its real cold your draft will increase the air flow without having to open your primary draft control more (cold days i'm usually closing mine slightly and closing MPD and then turning my blower on) . Its on mild days where the draft of your chimney suffers and you may need to open those primary's to help it pull easier... Glad to see your learning her better and getting your house heated finally... Fred is absolutely right though... play around some more and make sure your giving it hours/days to test...coal works VERY slow (which is what makes it so great) unlike wood.

I have found that when my insert starts begins to drop heat output, taking a poker and running it down down across the grates (front to back) seems to help. I do this after shaking and before reloading. It feels like on some of the passes that I am pushing sticky coal around. I figure that I must be breaking up something and allowing better air flow at the grates. After that, the next load seems to give a better output of heat at the same vents and damper setting.

Ctyankee wrote:I have found that when my insert starts begins to drop heat output, taking a poker and running it down down across the grates (front to back) seems to help. I do this after shaking and before reloading. It feels like on some of the passes that I am pushing sticky coal around. I figure that I must be breaking up something and allowing better air flow at the grates. After that, the next load seems to give a better output of heat at the same vents and damper setting.

I agree, I started using this technique just recently. Scour the top of the grates with an L shaped tool after shaking, then shake again. It will crush up any partially fused ash so it can drop on the second shake. Brings it back to nearly a brand new fire..

Ctyankee wrote:I have found that when my insert starts begins to drop heat output, taking a poker and running it down down across the grates (front to back) seems to help. I do this after shaking and before reloading. It feels like on some of the passes that I am pushing sticky coal around. I figure that I must be breaking up something and allowing better air flow at the grates. After that, the next load seems to give a better output of heat at the same vents and damper setting.

Yes. After 10 - 12 hours of burn time, my coal bed seems to become very low-density and porous. I don't know if that's what people refer to as bridging. After shaking the grates, I shove a poker in and then move the top of the poker back and forth in a few spots to kind of stir the coal. It causes the coal in the firebox to compact together and allows lots more coal to drop down from the hopper. Same result as you, Yankee -- better subsequent heat output. Disturbing the coal bed like that slows the fire down for a while, and it may need a lot more air until it gets burning well again.

I am just finishing up two pallets of Kimmel that has LOTS of volatiles, so in a couple days I will be starting on a pallet of Blaschak. Don't know yet if it will require the same stirring.

OK, so we made it through the summer with some heart aches and a lot of labor. Now it's time to start thinking about firing up the coal stove. My first question to all of you knowledgable people is what to do with my COAL ASH. Next question; what is the best brand of anthrachite coal to burn?